Lucky hit eludes Dirt Dawgs in hard-fought loss

WORCESTER -- The way this season has been going, it seems that everything has been working in the favor of the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs.

In Tuesday's July Fourth contest, however, luck swung the other way.

With lights-out pitching from both sides, Wachusett was unable to get that timely hit when needed, which left the Dirt Dawgs on the short side of a 2-1 difficult loss to the Worcester Bravehearts at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field.

Despite the loss, Wachusett remains on top of the West standings with the best overall record in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. Luck finally found the Bravehearts, who snapped a five-game losing streak to improve to 12-15 -- still in last place in the West.

"It was one of those games (where) nothing went our way," Wachusett Dirt Dawgs manager Dan Generelli said. "We hit a bunch of balls hard, but Worcester made a bunch of good plays on us. We had a couple of situations needing a big two-out hit, and we didn't get the two-out hit today. It was a good baseball game, with good pitching on both sides, it just didn't go our way."

Eddie Santiago ascended into a starting role for the Dirt Dawgs, and his impressive performance must have Wachusett feeling good heading into the midway point of the season.

Santiago seemed cool and in complete control in his second start of the season, as he went 5 1-3 innings allowing just one earned run on six hits, while walking two and striking out four.

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He left with the score tied, 1-1.

"(Santiago) has been in the bullpen to start the season, but had a spot start," Generelli said. "Because of his success in the bullpen he worked his way into the starting rotation. This was his first start in the rotation, and (he) pitched really well. He located his fastball down on both sides of the plate and did well with his changeup."

Worcester headed into the holiday game desperate for some momentum, which it got from starter Billy Devito, who went 6 1-3 innings, allowing six hits, one unearned run, two walks and six strikeouts.

Relief pitcher Cody Laweryson picked up the win, pitching 2 2-3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and yielding just two hits.

"Devito did a great job," Worcester Bravehearts manager J.P. Pyne said. "We lost five in a row and needed a big performance and a stopper-type performance and he gave us that. He actually didn't have his best stuff today, he was a little bit elevated in the zone, but he made pitches when he needed, and then Laweryson closed it down for us."

It seemed as though fate would be working in Wachusett's favor early on. Jack Gethings started the game with a leadoff walk, and then an error during Zack Tower's at-bat plated Gethings and put two in scoring position.

The next Wachusett batter hit a fast-dropping liner to left field, which appeared destined to drive in two more runs. Instead, Worcester outfielder Kevin Doody made a highlight-reel snag and was able to double-up the Dawgs to get out of the inning, still trailing 1-0.

Santiago held Worcester at bay for the first three innings, but one swing of the bat changed everything. On the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth, Greg Kocinski got everything on a towering shot over the billboard in right field, which tied the game at 1-1.

Wachusett would have its own scoring chance in the sixth inning, as the Dawgs loaded the bases with two outs. But the timely hit prove be elusive as Worcester escaped unharmed.

That momentum swing was critical, as in the seventh inning the Bravehearts would get the go-ahead run.

No. 9 hitter Mario Ricciardi reached on a two-out single to start things off. Trevor Johnson then struck a fading flare that hugged inside the right-field foul line, making for a difficult trek for the Dawgs' outfielder and allowing enough time for the speedy Ricciardi to score from first to make it 2-1.

The damage could have been much worse, as the next batter, Doody, struck a single to right field. But Wachusett outfielder Joe Jumonville threw a perfect dart to home to nab Johnson at the plate and end the inning.

Wachusett got a threat cooking in the eighth inning. Jeff Korte singled, and then with two outs Tower singled to put runners on the corners. The Dirt Dawgs attempted a double-steal with Nolan Kessinger at third, but Laweryson wisely faked to first and trapped Kessinger in a run-down to end the threat.

"It was a good ballgame, and it's just going to be how we bounce back tomorrow that will be the biggest factor," said Ryan Lever, a Leominster native and Wachusett infielder. "We're feeling good about ourselves overall right now, still being in first place."